The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly

Sprout constantly gazes out a crack in the chicken coop at the acacia tree in the yard. This tree is symbolic in several ways. First, it’s a beautiful being that exists outside the coop where Sprout is imprisoned, so it represents freedom to Sprout: “The acacia tree on the edge of the yard was blooming with white flowers. Their sweet scent caught the breeze and wafted into the coop, filling Sprout’s heart” (7). She gazes outward at the tree and marvels at its beauty, rather than focusing her attention into the coop and the feed, as the other chickens do, illustrating both her individuality and her desire to live outside of the coop.

Second, the tree’s sprouting buds and leaves that bloom each spring and then fertilize the soil each autumn thematically symbolize Nature’s Cycle of Death and Rebirth. This life cycle inspires Sprout’s self-given name: “Sprout wanted to do something with her life, just like the sprouts on the acacia tree” (7). This foreshadows her life cycle when she does escape the coop; she briefly “blooms” to enable the survival of the next generation, including Baby, her adoptive child, and finally sacrifices herself for the nourishment of the baby weasels.